More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)

Herbert Asquith

(1852–1928, earl of Oxford and Asquith 1925)Liberal politician, prime minister 1908–16. He entered parliament for East Fife in 1886 and was home secretary for three years (1892–5) in *Gladstone's last administration. He was chancellor of the exchequer from 1906 under *Campbell-Bannerman, whom he succeeded in 1908 as leader of the Liberal party and prime minister.

Asquith's administration laid the foundation of Britain's *welfare state, with radical legislation on pensions and unemployment benefit. But he was plunged into a major power struggle with the House of *Lords over the attempts of his chancellor, *Lloyd George, to raise taxes to pay for battleships in anticipation of the forthcoming war. The budget of 1909 was vetoed by the hereditary upper chamber. In 1910 Asquith called and won two elections on this constitutional issue, the upshot of which was that George V agreed to create enough new Liberal peers to carry through the upper chamber the Parliament Bill of 1911; the threat proved sufficient to persuade the existing House of Lords to pass the bill, ending their own power of veto over any financial legislation.

The early stages of World War I brought criticism of Asquith as a war leader. He changed his cabinet to a coalition in May 1915, and eventually stood down in December 1916 in favour of *Lloyd George. He nevertheless remained leader of the Liberal party for another ten years, a strange state of affairs by modern standards – even more so after he lost East Fife in 1918 and only returned to the House of Commons in a by-election in 1920.